San Juan Island — Blog — The Greenest Blue

Eating Vegan on San Juan Island, WA - Friday Harbor Plant-Based Eats

Ah, the blissful Salish Isles. Home to one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, this part of the world is a marine lover’s paradise. Therefore, my paradise. San Juan Island is the most populous and second largest of the 172 named islands in this area, and it’s my favorite place on the planet. I feel like I’ve gotten to know this little gem of an island pretty well over the last few years. I’m in no way claiming to be a local or a full-timer, but I've spent three summers here and have sprinkled in numerous other visits over the last five years. And being a gal with a hearty appetite and a love of good planty food, I’ve done my fair share of culinary exploring. The low population means that there isn’t a huge variety of vegan restaurants - or any other type of restaurant, for that matter. But the type of people that are drawn to live here tend to open some top-notch dining establishments with a real farm-to-table flair. Although seafood reigns king on most of the locavore menus, you’ll still find plant-based delights galore - especially during the summer.

San Juan-dering - Exploring San Juan Island on a Sunny Day Off

I'm pretty lucky to have an amazing archipelago to explore on my days off. I've already written about Orcas and Lopez, but how could I overlook the island that I actually call my summer home? San Juan Island is a true gem in the Salish Sea. It's filled with hiking trails that wind along rocky shorelines and mossy forests, beaches covered in driftwood and harbors brimming with old-time charm, rolling fields of lavender and local farms that supply a vibrant farmer's market on Saturdays, and sweeping vistas of neighboring islands, the Olympic Mountains, and inter-island channels of water. I spend a good portion of my day pinching myself to ensure I'm in reality and drooling over the insane natural beauty of this place.

Somewhere You Can Drive With Your Brights On

San Juan Islands, TravelLauren FritzJune 25, 2017driving, Roads, San Juan Island, isolation, solitary, independence, solo travel, personal growth, self growth, reflection

Lopez Island - Day Trip to the Island Nicknamed "Slow-pez"

One of the beauties of island living is that if you want to get away from it all, it can be as simple as hopping over to a different island that's only a few miles away. Quite different from dealing with the pricey inter-island flights of Hawai'i that I flew this past winter, moving between the San Juan archipelago is as simple as boarding the Washington State Ferry. It's free for walk-on passengers and bicyclists when you're moving between the islands (or if you're coming from the mainland, it costs a mere $13.50), so when I had a sunny Saturday off, it was a no-brainer to grab some bikes and my friends Jules and Katie to go on an inter-island adventure. Bonus - Saturday is farmer's market day out here! Eager to explore a new island, Lopez was an easy choice. It's known as the most bike-friendly of the San Juan Islands, although fellow cyclists will probably agree with me when I say that it can still whoop your tush if you haven't been biking in over a year (like me!).